Whatever you do... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES take this professor. Other reviews have said that the man is senile and I myself made that observation many times throughout the semester. He is a nice man but is in no position nor any condition to teach. If you ask him a question he looks at you like you spoke jibberish then ignores you. He mumbles the attendance causing many false absences and then booms out the lecture like the whole class is deaf. He is stubborn and quite frankly too old fashioned to function in a current college setting.



Exams: As fairly as one can grade impossiblity. I am the type of student who may not get straight A's, but I work very hard for what I do get. Professor Tonk's tests were passable only if you were a history major or just had one of those minds that soak up information easy. The only way to pass his test was literally to memorize the book. On our final exam he dictated a "study guide" to us which consisted of enough terms to cover an entire piece of notebook paper completely. He then went on to tell us that, in order to help us study, the pages we covered that semester were pages 4-382... the book was around 400 pages. No help at all and again, the tests are IMPOSSIBLE.



Homework: We had to do two book reviews which Professor Tonks graded on his own opinion only. He actually told me to lower my level of work because I didn't need to use "One-dollar words when all we need is a ten-cent word." The only way I managed to get anything above a C because of his opinion was to finish the second review a week early and have him look over it so I could change it to what he wanted it to say. Also, he holds to the old "A 'C' is average, this was average work" addage which, as we all know, in some situations D is failing so that is not truly an average grade.



Textbook: It was the only way to know anything for the tests. I took notes up until the halfway point in the semester when I realized they were completely useless. He will even tell you later when you ask him where in the book to find a term or an even that it is not in the book but you should just know it anyway.

DR tonks is a great guy, i loved talking to him outside class and he is really nice and he's always willing to help. however UNLESS YOU ARE A VERY PATIENT PERSON WITH A DECENT ATTENTION SPAN do not take him. for me there are times i actually enjoyed and times that i felt like in stead leaving in which some students did, if i recall they did bad in class. by the way just to give you heads up make sure you look at your test nicely when he hands it back , because some of the question and answers are quite debateable in which i always did and proofed him wrong. other than that make sure you pay attention to THE STUDY GUIDE. me and another student seriously spent endless hours in the library studying for the tests which were open book and still didn't get our desired grades. READ READ AND READ.



he is understanding too, we talked to him as agroup about the quizes and tests, and he was open minded to help. which i appreciated alot.



Exams: there 4 tests. about 50 and for us it was open book. it was timed and the bad thing was you have about 4 chapters so you have to read prior to the test.by the way read closely if you want to do well.



Homework: you read alot, about a chapter every night and i only had him for 2 days a week. and towards the end of the semester you get more chapters. so crunck up on your reading. the readings were for daily quizes and the tests. the quizes are HARD read, he drops two luckly for me he dropped the two i failed so read read read



Textbook: word of advice THE TEXT BOOK IS YOU SURVIVAL TOOL FOR THE CLASS. its easy reading however its very very unclear in some parts. it makes his answer choices very debateable. so make sure you read closely

Tonks is rather aged and has a hard time keeping his students' attention, but there are worse professors at MTSU. He is willing to help if you express an interest in doing well in his class, he grades fairly, and he always curved our test grades. I'm actually taking him again for 2020 because I'm used to his test/grade system.



Exams: I read all of the reviews before taking this class was was absolutely terrified of the tests. I didn't see anything all that difficult about the questions as long as you studied your notes and the book thoroughly. A large part of the points comes from writing about the listed terms. They have been the difference between an F and a C on the tests for me.



Homework: We had to read two books (one was less than 100 pages, the other was more than 300) and write a page and a half review on them. We also had a few assignments from the book. Nothing too challenging. The biggest assignment was the research paper, but you found out about it the first day of the semester and had two months to work on it. My paper was written in about a week and a half and I got a B+, so don't fret. Just be thorough in your research; he likes that.



Textbook: You'll need the book to do the homework assignments. It's pretty helpful in studying as well. There was a website that went with the book that provided chapter summaries, tests, and quizzes. Very helpful.

I fully believe that Dr. Tonks means well, and that he was good at what he did years ago, but his approach is dated. He tends to wander off subject often, and his lectures can be obscure and hard to follow. His quizzes always contain very precise questions, that you'd have to be a specialist in that time period to know! All of his material is presented through a transparency that contains a text outline of the material. No visual aid is given. As I said above, the quizzes are given for material that has not been lectured on yet, so he expects you to read ahead. You better stock up on scantrons, as everything in this class, save the book review, is done on scantrons. Do yourself a favor, do not take Dr. Tonks as your History 2020 instructor.



Exams: The tests are open-book, the quizzes are not. Quizzes are always given on material that are on lectures that haven't occurred yet. You are expected to read a chapter of material before each quiz, it would seem.



Homework: There is one book to read and write a short paper (~1.5 pages) about in this class.



Textbook: MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT BOOK! Textbook Brokers sold me the wrong book, and due to the circumstances, I couldn't get the right book until I was a fair way into the class. The book helps a LOT!

DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR EVER IN YOUR LIFE!!!! IF YOU DO YOU WILL BE SORRY, I PROMISE. I have had horiible professors in the past, and have worked hard to get As in those classes. Tonks is on a level of his own. I'm sure he's a good man, but he is a bit on the senile side. It is impossible to get an A in anything. The tests are impossible and the lectures are so boring it makes me want to cry right now. I took notes every class until halfway through the semester when I realized it was pointless. I started to read the book during classes instead. This professor will destroy your morale. Do not take him!



Exams: The test questions were so hard it wasn't even funny. It was just a big memorization/guessing test. There were things on the test I never even heard of in class. We never got to keep the tests or find out what we did wrong on the tests. No opportunities for improvement.



Homework: There were two book reviews which I worked extremely hard on. You can work as hard as you can and be the smartest person in the world but I doubt you will get higher than a B on anything.



Textbook: There only History I learned was from the textbook. On the last week of class I realzed the book had a website, this would've been very helpful.

I love history, and I felt like I was in Hell during his class becuase he was boring and constantly went off topic about his many trips. I am not taking another history course at MTSU ever..instead I am taking the CLEPT tests. I made an A in this class--so I am not someone who failed and is complaining about it. It wasn't exactly easy to make an A, with the research papers and tests. DO NOT BUY BOOK, AND IF POSSIBLE DO NOT TAKE HIM AS A TEACHER--HE IS UTTERLY BORING.



Exams: His test were horrible, but I got an A in the class...becuase i studied his notes....which were horrible in themselves.



Homework: RESEARCH PAPER, 2 book reviews..........dont' take this class!



Textbook: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK...I MADE STR A'S MY FIRST SEMESTER (SPRING 2005)..so you can trust my word. Instead, go to barns N Nobles and buy one of the AP Hisotry review books (i.e. 20 dollars-around there) and make sure it has a cliff notes version of the entire text (the brief outline of the text will be about 50 pages in the AP book)...this will save like 50 dollars and it will have multiple choice questions to study from. If you don't do this you are and idiot (sorry--but this is smart)

He would occasionally get sidetracked during lectures and talk about things seemingly unrelated to the class, but if you were patient and listened, most of those tangents actually applied, and showed how our history is connected to our present. If you are willing to do the reading, actively listen during class, and ask questions, it is definitely possible to get an A in his class.



Exams: He would give a list of suggested study topics before the test that was pretty thorough. If you take good notes and actually read the chapters, you should do pretty well.



Homework: Two book reviews (5% of total grade), a large research paper (25% of grade), and a few short document readings.

It's very important to spend a lot of time on the research paper because it's a quarter of your grade. I felt the paper was a little much for this level of a History course, but I did learn a lot from it.



Textbook: The book has a website that is invaluable. There are chapter summaries and tons of practice tests. I printed out the chapter summaries before each test and studied just those and my lecture notes, and got A's on every test.

This professor has got to be the worst professor I have had here at MTSU! He is very boring and it is really hard to stay focused or even stay awake!! The worst thing about it is that he doesn't stay on task as what is said on the syllabus! His lectures are so behind on what you are reading and you never know what to expect on a quiz!! I would recommend NEVER to take tonks!!!



Exams: Tests were actually not that bad and compared to the quizes, they were ten times easier!! The quizes are terribly and you really have to read the material to even have a chance at a A or B on the quizes because he doesnt go over any of that material in class.



Homework: You have to do one big book review at the beginning of the semester and it is pretty much point less, because i can say I learned nothing from doing this! You also have reading assignments everyday and they are mandatory to pass the class because you really get nothing from lectures.



Textbook: The textbook is definately needed! It is pretty much your life line to passing the class! So there is no way of possible taking this class without it!!

Dr. Tonks is one of the Nicest professors i've met at MTSU. He's really smart and knows his histoy, but his lectures tend to go on and on, and are not very relative to the tests. You get more out of the text book than his lectures. If you talk to him outside of class and get to know him he really will try to help you out in anyway he can and explain things. All in all he's a good guy, just a little boring.



Exams: The tests were a little difficult. The wording sometimes threw you off a bit, but he usually threw out questions and gave you points, so if you got a B on the test you'd get enough extra points to get an A.



Homework: There was one extra credit book report at the begining of the semester which is worth up to 10 percent of you grade. It was a really short book on Frederick Douglass, so the book report wasn't all that hard.



Textbook: Reading the textbook and its chapter multiple times is really the only way your going to pass his tests and quizes. I enjoy history so it wasn't that bad, but if you don't like it it's going to be terrible.

Dr. Tonks is not an easy A. He makes you work for it. He is a really nice man and will work with you and tries to help you if you go to him. he tends to get off subject in class and can just drone on. but he is a very knowledgeable man. I received the grade I did by not working hard enough. Just put some effort in and show up to class and you will be fine. Don't be scared by other reviews. you can pass him, it just takes work!



Exams: he handed out a suggestion sheet of terms you needed to look over. He would allow a whole sheet of paper front and back. if you thoroughly go over the terms and write down as much as you can for a reference while taking the test you will be fine. But you have to put in the work!!



Homework: none just a critical book review which was extra credit. you didn't have to do it but it could add up to 10 points to your grade.



Textbook: you need this for the quizzes you have almost daily. and he pulls a lot from the book for the test. its all the in between details he finds so you do need it!.

Dr. Tonks is AWFUL. Do NOT take him. His lectures put the ENTIRE class to sleep, his tests questions are EXTREMELY picky and are just small details that don't really matter. If he didn't have an attendance policy, which he does (5 or more absences and you fail), then nobody would have come to class because his lectures are POINTLESS. If you dare to take him, just get the book, and read it in class, that is the only way to do well. DON'T TAKE DR. TONKS!!!!



Exams: The tests are straight scantron, and he gives you NO study guide, and his notes he give you in class helps you DIDDLY!!! The only way to do DECENT on his tests his to read the book cover to cover, and watch a TON of history channel



Homework: The only homework we had was a paper due on a 400 page book, that was due 2 weeks into the semester...a little ridiculous



Textbook: The text, like any history book is BORING, but if you wanna PASS...and yes pass, not get an A, just pass...you have to read the book COVER to COVER

I will never take Dr. Tonks again, nor will I suggest that someone should take a class from him. He's a nice guy who really does mean well, but not a good teacher. Dr. Tonks, " It's time to retire!"



The only reason I got out of this class with a B-grade was because I applied myself 110%. I assume that the majority of the class got a lower grade than I did. (By the way, did I mention that about 40% of the class dropped the class before the end of the semester, maybe they were smarter than I thought.)



Exams: Tests seemed random from what was covered in class. I had studied an hour or two for each test, read the material, took notes- yet i still never did well on tests. Most of my test grades were D's or C's.



Homework: Lots and Lots of reading- which most of the class didn't do. Some of the reading was textbook, then we had to purchase 3 other novel books and read/write report on those.



Textbook: The textbook used was awful. Long and drawn-out, information seemed pointless.

Tonks is a nice man. He really does care for his students, but he is very hard. He will try to help if you will go to his office and get it. I do not recommend this class to anyone. I made a B in 1010 and i think i'm very lucky to make a C in this class. I struggled with this class the whole semester. TAKE SOMEONE ELSE!!!



Exams: Their were 4 test and they were open book. But the book didn't help. the test are so hard that the only way you can make a good grade is if you read the whole book multiple times. The test were still easier than the quizzes. You have a quiz every class and they cover about 80 pages. The quizes killed my grade. I could handle the test because of the book.



Homework: The class had 1 paper that was only 2 pages. If he agreed with what you thought then you ecieved a good grade. If not, well you didn't do so well. Only one person in my class got higher than a C.



Textbook: Buy it! You will never pass the class without it!!!

As a person, Dr. Tonks is great. He's got some interesting stories and is very nice. Problem is, he tends to spend too much time and those stories and not enough time on the material. All of the quizzes were over material we had not yet covered in class...just over the stuff we were supposed to be reading at home. I think I would have done better on the quizzes if the material had been discussed. He is NOT an easy teacher so if you want an easy A, do not take Dr. Tonks. Overall, I enjoyed the class as much as you can enjoy history...but the studying is brutal!



Exams: We had 4 tests and at least 1 quiz a week...all scantron. They were very tricky. I always somehow did well on the tests, but never did very good on the quiz. You HAVE to be familiar with the text to do well on the tests.



Homework: Read read read



Textbook: Oh, it's a boring history text that makes you immediately fall asleep. No surprises there.

He's a really nice guy and if you're having a hard time or miss a quiz, if you talk to him he'll help you out. He is kind of boring, but this class isn't bad as long as you read and attend class. It's not the easiest class ever, but as long as you read and pay attention in class you'll make an a or b for sure.



Exams: The tests were pretty hard, but as long as you read ALL the pages of the book that are listed every night and go over it, you'll do fine. He made our last test and the final open book because it covered a lot of material.



Homework: He only assigned reading, but there were quizes every other class, to take attendance mostly. They were worth 10 points though, so they helped my grade.



Textbook: You have to get the textbook to pass the class! He lectures in class, but you really dont even need to take notes. He takes all the quiz and test questions straight from the reading.

Dr. Tonks has an older teaching style but he cares about his students and your education. He is willing to help if you're having any problems in his class. All the information is there - you just have to put the time in to study and you'll do fine.



Exams: 3 test - 1 final exam. He allows you to have one sheet of notes to use during the test. I found that the notes helps you studying than it did on the test. I rarely used it, but it is nice to have. He grades very fairly on all test. He also does a book review for extra credit that is helpful.



Homework: He assigns quizzes through D2L once a week. They are 10 question multiple choice. He keeps your 10 highest quiz scores for your final grade.



Textbook: You have to read it. He covers 75% of the information in class but the rest comes from the book. Also, the book is used for the quizzes.

The problem with Dr. Tonks class is that his lectures are always behind by several days due to his droning on about how he remembers the first time hi town got electricity. the tests are based on his lectures and not the book but because he is always so behind the majority of the stuff that you are being tested over you have not even heard about yet. DO NOT EVER TAKE TONKS, HE IS BY FAR THE WORST TEACHER AT MTSU.



Exams: The tests are made up of insanely specific questions that many graduate students would have trouble answering.



Textbook: i'm sure that the textbook is fine but the problen is that Dr. Tonks uses the same tests that he has used for years and therefore it is based on a book that is probably out of print now. This causes the tests to not be based on the book you are told to use but a book that is unknown.

This class is extremely boring. I think most history classes are. Dr. Tonks is a very fair professor. He wants everyone to pass, and he tries to make the class relatively easy. Be prepared for a lot of reading though.



Exams: The tests weren't too hard if you read the book. He goes over the major topics the day before the test so you'll know what to study. There weren't many "tricky" questions and he usually curved.



Homework: We had to read two novels and write papaers on them. We also had a research paper to do. He gave a us list of topics and we chose which one we wanted to do.



Textbook: I never read the text because he gives notes during class. I probably would've made better scores on the tests if I had read the book though. I didn't have a lot of time to read the text because of the novels we had to read.

Dr. Tonks is not the teacher to take if you want to pass this class. He is boring and strays from the point a lot...He talks extremely slow and will put you to sleep.He does ridiculous things like tells you on Monday to study chapters 9-14 for the test on Friday (which is about 250 mind you). DO NOT TAKE DOCTOR TONKS FOR HISTORY 2010!!!



Exams: His tests are horrid! Long stupid things that leave you with a migraine!



Homework: Most of the homework is done at the beginning of the course with a research paper and 2 book reviews. But, no matter how hard you try, it is very unlikely that you will get better than a B minus.



Textbook: I'm sure the library has a copy of the book....don't buy it if it does. We never used the book....not even once! The tests though were based on the book.

Dr. Tonks is a kind old man. He frontloads the course work. You'll thank him later for that. You are required to read 2 books and write 1-1/2 page reviews on them. You must also pick a topic from a list and write a min. 6 page research paper with 8 sources, none internet. There are also 3 tests and a final. He is lenient on giving your final grade. I made an A on the research paper but failed 2 of 3 tests and still managed a C (thanks Dr. Tonks!) even though I thought I'd get a D. History is a tough subject for me but I'm happy with the grade. As long as you get to know him and try, you will pass the course.



Exams: If there were questions that a lot of people missed, he gave the whole class credit on those.



Textbook: The textbook would have helped, but I didn't use it.